In two week’s time, ticketing industry professionals will once again converge in New York City for Ticket Summit®. The conference and trade show will stage its fourth annual event in the city January 18–20 at the historic Waldorf=Astoria.
Ticket Summit began in 2006 as an annual summer conference in Las Vegas, but expanded to include an East Coast event in 2009. Since then, Ticket Summit NYC has grown to more than 500 registrants every year, with an ever-changing roster of speakers and exhibitors from sectors across the industry.
Over the course of its three days, the 2012 winter conference will feature six panel discussions, industry meetings, training sessions, and networking events.
As always, anchoring Ticket Summit’s daily schedule will be a pair of special addresses: a January 19 keynote session led by Richard Krezwick, president of Devils Arena Entertainment, and a January 20 keynote chat with Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and co-owner of 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.
As the clock winds down to the 2012 event, Ticket Summit executive director Molly Mérez took the time to speak with TicketNews about the upcoming conference and what attendees can expect this year in New York.
TicketNews: Ticket Summit has grown significantly since it first began. How many attendees do you expect at the upcoming winter conference?
Molly Mérez: Our previous New York conferences have drawn a big crowd in the upwards of 500 attendees or more, and we expect our registration numbers to follow suit as in years past. We are particularly proud that this particular conference will feature an extremely high number of professional sports teams and leagues, including the MLB, NBA, NHL, AHL and ECHL, among others.
International attendance for this conference is also high, with registrants from Canada, Finland, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, and other countries. And with venue managers, tickets sales executives, and technology companies in the mix, it makes for a fantastically varied audience with decision-makers from all parts of the ticket supply chain.
TN: What are some of the panels and events attendees can expect at this Ticket Summit?
MM: As we do with each conference, we aim to bring fresh content, new speakers, an adjusted overall format, all tailored to deliver a unique conference experience. This show definitely achieves all of the above.
Among the panel sessions on the roster are “The Hispanic Ticket Market,” where speakers will shed light on the role of Spanish-speaking audiences in the expansion of the ticketing market and share strategies on how to enter those markets; “Premium Packages and Ticket Bundles,” where travel and entertainment providers will expound on how tickets are being grouped with other popular entertainment items; and a “World of Sports” panel with an all-star speaker roster that will discuss pertinent issues surrounding sports sales trends, hockey, basketball, the 2012 Olympic Games, and many more sporting topics.
TN: What options are available to those who might still need to register?
MM: We are encouraging everyone to register prior to the conference in order to save, so as to pay only $489 per pass. Online registration will only be available through Tuesday, January 17, after which the price will increase to $599 at the door. We want to make it as affordable as possible for people to come to our show, so the earlier a person books, the more they save!
TN: Ticket Summit has returned to The Waldorf=Astoria every winter since 2009. What makes the hotel an ideal location for the conference?
MM: The Waldorf=Astoria is an amazing conference location, as it is situated in the heart of Midtown in Manhattan. From businesses and restaurants to nightlife venues, it is all reachable within walking distance, allowing attendees to experience what New York City is all about without having to go very far. And with its close proximity to Grand Central Terminal, it makes it highly accessible to get to all parts of the city with maximum ease.
TN: You’ve directed numerous Ticket Summit conferences already. Do you feel like an “expert” yet, or is the experience new every season?
MM: This will already be the ninth Ticket Summit conference under my direction, so it would not be presumptuous to use the word “expert.” However, each conference is unique in its own right — because we want it that way!
It is our goal to always deliver new content, create unique networking opportunities, and tailor an overall exciting conference experience. We do not let our production expertise cloud our ability to push the envelope, do things outside the box, and create unique conference activities for our attendees.
The growth of the Ticket Summit conference is a testament to the positive experience people have at our event, and we look forward to “raising the bar” year after year.
TN: Do you have any words for those who might miss the upcoming 2012 winter conference?
MM: You’ll be missing out on a great show! Ticket Summit is the networking destination for executives in ticketing and live entertainment. So, if you can’t make it to our winter conference, consider joining us this summer — July 11–13, 2012 — at Bellagio Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
Ticket Summit® is a registered trademark of Ticket Summit, Inc. For additional information on the 2012 New York conference and panel schedule, or to register as an attendee before the January 17 online registration deadline, please visit TicketSummit.org.
Last Updated on January 5, 2012
